"The Bible is central to our faith," said Pastor John Bromhal of Redeemer Lutheran Church "but many people are intimidated by its scope and size. The Story gives us a way to journey from Genesis to Revelation together in 31 weeks so everyone understands God's story and how their story intersects with it."

Damascus, September, 2013- The Bible is the best-selling book in history, but how many people in Damascus are actually reading it? A Gallup survey reports the average American household has four Bibles. However, research by Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life (2008) found that only 16 percent of Americans read the Bible every day.

Redeemer Lutheran Church is hoping to reverse this trend, starting with its own congregation. Pastor John Bromhal believes that The Story, a Zondervan best-seller, is a great tool to increase Biblical literacy, helping readers understand God's story from Genesis to Revelation and how their own stories intersect with God's. Consisting of 31 chapters of carefully-selected scriptures sequenced in chronological order, The Story presents the word of God in an engaging format, reading like a novel.

"I want the people in my congregation, as well as throughout the whole four county area, to realize the incredible love God has for them and how their story is found in His story," said Pastor Bromhal. We will journey together through the fall, winter and spring on this 31 week trek through the Bible. Through Sunday morning sermons and Sunday School lessons for all ages (children, teen and adult Sunday School classes) families will be able to stay on the same page together as they engage the many stories of the Bible in a way that will help us all see the big picture of God's Story. Redeemer Lutheran will begin the experience together on Sunday, October 20 with services at 8:00 and 11:00AM and study groups between the services at 9:40AM.

With thousands of participating churches nationwide, The Story is becoming a movement that is bringing wide-ranging benefits to local churches. Many have reported increased community outreach, increased Biblical literacy, congregational growth and a greater understanding of how God's story reveals the purpose behind our personal stories.

Redeemer Lutheran Church would like to invite you to experience The Story at our Sunday services beginning on October 20th. For more information, visit Redeemer Lutheran on the internet at www.redeemer.us .